Page 10 of Kiss From A Rose

Ifelt some of the grief of leaving my family behind loosen its tight grip on my heart the moment I stepped onto the porch of Angel's Rest Bed & Breakfast.

"Hey, hot stuff," Malou greeted me.

I hugged her and felt how my brave friend had become skin and bones.

I ached for her, despaired that I was going to lose her, the only person in the world who loved me unconditionally. Ultimately, my husband and children had left me behind as they moved ahead with their lives, but Malou and I'd never done that to each other. Growing up dirt poor, you learned quickly that true relationships were the key to survival.

"Well, let's look at you." Malou stepped back, and her bony fingers clutched my arms. She wore a woolen cap to fend off the cold. The last rounds of chemo had left her emaciated andexhausted. I’d been by her side as she faded into the chemo fog…at least most of the time.

"Come on, Rose, this is a networking thing. You can't go later on to see Malou?" Gray had been furious when I told him I would have to miss an event his company was hosting because it was on the same day that Malou got chemo. "People will wonder where my wife is."

"She's dyin', Gray," I tried, and he shrugged.

"Do what you want. You will anyway."

I was shattered when he said that with such disappointment in me as a wife.Do what I want?

When had I ever done what I wanted?

So, I stayed for the party, where he ignored me the entire night while I smiled and made small talk with the people who bothered to speak with me as I always did. Gray was with Aimee without a Y on his side most of the time. He paid more attention to her than me.

I hated not being there to take care of Malou; Gray ultimately hadn't even noticed or appreciated the sacrifice I had made. He just expected I'd change my plans.

He used to be more considerate, but as the years had gone by, and he'd become busier with his company, he had started to bark orders rather than make requests.

Well, this horse ain't gonna pull the plow anymore. I wantedandneededto be with my friend as life left her. It was heartbreaking, and I knew it would hurt. I wished I had someone in my life to lean on but the only person I could was Malou, and she needed me to stay strong for her, which I fully intended to do.

Angel's Rest Bed & Breakfast was the embodiment of dreams realized. It was lovingly maintained. The house, an elegant structure from a bygone era, had been transformed meticulously into a twelve-bedroom Bed & Breakfast. With its unique charm, each room whispered stories of travelers who had sought refuge within its walls. The wooden floors, aged to a perfect patina, creaked softly under my feet, adding a cadenced melody to my movements as I took over taking care of the B&B.

The most enchanting feature, however, was the covered pool. It was an architectural marvel, seamlessly blending the indoors with the outdoors. Nestled at the back of the B&B, large glass panels framed the heated pool, offering unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean. The sight was breathtaking.

In the early mornings, I'd sit by the poolside, captivated by the mist dancing over the water. The steam rising from the heated pool mingled with the cool sea air, creating an ethereal spectacle. The sea, a silent witness to my new beginning, and Malou's poignant farewell stood stoically. Its beauty soothed my troubled heart, reminding me that life, much like the landscape before me, was an intricate blend of light and shadow, joy, and sorrow. This place was a haven where souls came to reclaim themselves, to laugh, cry, and find peace. For me, it marked the beginning of an unexpected journey—one of self-discovery, healing, and perhaps, eventually, accepting the twists and turns of life.

Lilah, the young woman who cleaned the B&B, hugged me as soon as she saw me. Angel's Rest came with a small pool house where Lilah, who was just seventeen, lived with her two-year-old baby girl, Grace. I could relate to her, though in her case, the girl's father didn't want to have anything to do with either of them. I'd been lucky.

"I'm so glad you're here because Miss Malou needs to rest and not run around," Lilah tattled on her employer and my friend.

"Well, hell, Lilah, I ain't tryin' to kill myself, that be the cancer, hon," Malou quipped with a sharp laugh.

I settled into the room next to Malou's on the ground floor. These were the only two interconnected rooms that were supposed to be for families who came to stay, but since Malou was too tired to climb the stairs, I'd moved her down here months ago.

"No guests tonight," Malou told me as I went through the B&B's books on her laptop while she lay on her bed, the television on mute. "But tomorrow, we get a full house. I made sure Edgar stocked the fridge."

Edgar was Lilah's cousin. He cleaned the pool, maintained the garden, and handled all the little tasks we needed done, both inside and out.

"I'll take care of everything," I murmured.

"You sure you want to do this, Rose? You've just beentakin' careof three ungrateful assholes, and now you have totake careof my ass."

"At least your ass ain't ungrateful," I remarked. "And don't call my kids assholes."

Malou chuckled. "But your husband I can?"

"Sure," I laughed.

I set down my reading glasses and closed Malou's laptop. I had left mine at home—the one I bought when she got sick, and I took over her accounting, social media, website management, and all the general marketing and bookkeeping.

"You hear from them?"

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